“Play Ball”: The Knucklehead Pitch

I met Clueless Carl at a Chamber networking mixer. This small-business owner was vexed by the media’s inattention to his company.

“My competitors are always in the papers, but they never write about me,” Carl
grumbled.

When I asked if he had reached out to the editor of a local business-to-business
newspaper, Carl replied: “I called a couple of months ago, but they weren’t
interested.”

“What was your pitch?” I asked.

“My pitch was: I want you to write a story about my company.”

“Did you offer a specific story idea about your company for the editor to consider?” I
asked.

“Coming up with ideas isn’t my job,” Carl said. “It’s their job!”

Such knuckleheaded thinking guarantees continuing non-coverage of Carl’s company by
the media. I didn’t tell Carl this nor did I give him my business card, even though my business is pitching client stories to reporters. The Clueless Carls I’ve met over the years just don’t get it: If you give the media solid ideas, they’ll write about your company. The ones that do get it are my clients.

Blogger Bio: Pauline Bartel, M.A., is President and Chief Creative Officer of
Bartel Communications, Inc., an award-winning corporate communications firm,
specializing in marketing, public relations and business anniversary consulting
services. The firm created “The Bartel Years™” and “The Bartel Years 200™,” rosters of business anniversary symbols to inspire two centuries of business anniversary
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